6 interesting benefits of power naps

Everyone wants a nap. It allows for an escape from the tiring daily routine. A person feels productive, refreshed and healthy after having a nap. It does not matter what profession you belong to, whether you are a doctor, engineer or even a pilot. Studies have revealed that a nap can be self-satisfying having a range of health benefits.

What is a powernap?

Powernap is a form of a nap that is short in time duration. It usually lasts for about half n hour to one hour at most. People who powernap will usually have the episode during lunch time and dinner. It is when the body is able to recharge itself, ready to continue the rest of the day with a refreshing mind.

What are some of the benefits of powernap?

Medical science in recent times has revealed a long list of benefits a powernap might able to offer. It is good for the physical as well as mental well-being. The nap is known to help people with depression and other mood disorders. At the same time, resting may speed up metabolic rate, in turn helping in weight loss.

Let us now look at some of the advantages of a power nap.

1.Increases productivity

If you are someone who faces the problem of laziness and fatigue during work then power nap might be the right solution. It can increase productivity as well as helping the person stay alert for the remaining part of the day.

To test for the hypothesis, scientists involved themselves in a series of experiments. Workers belonging to different professions were studies under controlled conditions. In one group were pilots belonging to NASA. The other group consisted of nurses, doctors and few hospital staff. All of them underwent power naps of about 25 minutes each during the afternoon.

The results revealed some interesting findings. People from almost all professions worked with increased dedication and were more productive. They performed their work with higher accuracy and made fewer mistakes.

Using these results, medical professionals emphasize the importance of power naps for people of all professions. It can be one vital way to escape the burden of excessive workload related to the job.

2.Enhances cognition

One other advantage offered is the ability to increase learning and memorizing capacity of an individual. Power naps can be of great advantage for the brain helping perform vital functions. The other good thing about it is that the benefit can be obtained for all age groups.

These naps are recommended as improved cognition can help school children to perform better. They did better in memorizing what they were taught and learned quickly. In addition, the children also reproduced what they were taught more efficiently. One research also finds that children who powernap every day are likely to be more creative than normal kids.

There is also a theory that has been put forward that power naps can increase the mortality rate. More study is however needed to arrive at a more solid conclusion.

3.Good for the heart

Cardiovascular diseases have become a matter of important concern. The rates are at a rise and scientists are looking for ways to stop the problem from spreading. There are a number of ways to treat the condition and promote heart health. One rather interesting way that is suggested is through power napping.

Yes! Interestingly power napping can be of great help to support a healthy heart. It decreases the blood pressure and minimizes the effects of the symptoms. As a result, the patient has to rely less on the prescribed medications which have considerable side effects.

4.Healthier cell growth

Cells are the tiniest of the unit that makes up the whole of the body. We have billions of cells present within ourselves performing different functions. In most scenarios, these cells may be subjected to damage. This prevents them from performing their function properly.

Sleep deprived people are more vulnerable to cell damage than any other group. When this happens, cells may not respire and as a result, would not release energy. This further increases the chances of getting inflicted with serious medical complications.

On the fortunate side, power naps of 20 minutes can help prevent the problem to a great extent. It lessens cell damage allowing the body to perform all the important functions.

5.Increasing Testosterone level

The testosterone is a male hormone that primarily has two jobs to play. Firstly, it helps in the development of the reproductive organs. On the second level, it is important for sustaining stronger bone and muscle health.

A person who lacks adequate sleep and rest will face the problem of low testosterone level. Especially, young people who are undergoing changes in their body need to powernap and take adequate rests. Failure to do so can hinder the hormonal changes and slowing the development process.

Power naps, on the other hand, can help elevate testosterone level aiding the growth of reproductive organs. Furthermore, it also helps in maintaining the sex drive of the individual.

6.Releases stress

Everyone in this world has to deal with some sort of distress at some point in their lives. In addition to being physically beneficial, power naps can improve the mental well being of a person.

The naps may help in dealing with the stressful situation. It does this by secreting a hormone known as norepinephrine. This hormone helps in the fight or flight response.

Moreover, power naps may also have a positive relationship with the production of serotonin. High levels of serotonin are linked with better, happier moods. People who suffer from depression have low levels of this chemical. A number of studies have revealed that following a routine of short naps can help sustain the mood of an individual. He or she is more likely to be in a state of mental satisfaction than in other situations.

Tips to keep in mind

We have looked into some of the advantages that power naps might offer. It is certainly true that following this pattern will help yield a number of benefits from physical to better mental health. One should make it a point to follow a routine of short naps to make use of the advantages.

The question however arises: how to powernap?

The answer to the question is simple consisting of some rules and procedures which one needs to consider. The following table highlights some of the tips to keep in mind when deciding to power nap.

· A person should decide to powernap for about 30 to one hour at max. Napping for longer periods of time may not allow the person to make use of the advantages.

· Keep a gap of about 2 hours for the episode. It may take some time for an individual to fall asleep.

· Sleep in the afternoon. Somewhere between 12 pm and 4 pm is considered to be good enough. Before or after the time limits may disturb the sleep routine.

· Power nap in a quiet, comfortable place with something to support your back.